Panthers Wire 1-on-1: Defensive coordinator Eric Washington

Panthers Wire 1-on-1: Defensive coordinator Eric Washington

Forget tobacco. North Carolina’s greatest manufactured good is now being produced somewhere in the halls of Bank of America Stadium, where another promising defensive coordinator has just been minted.

In a move as seamless as the one that preceded it just a year earlier, the Carolina Panthers promoted Eric Washington to head its defense last Monday.

Washington, who had served as the team’s defensive line coach since 2011, is now the third man in as many years to work the coveted position.

So what’s on Washington mind after accepting the biggest job of his professional career? We asked the 10-year NFL coach about some of his inspirations, evaluations and aspirations in this, our latest installment of Panthers Wire 1-on-1.

Panthers Wire: Now that you’ve officially been named defensive coordinator, can you look back and credit any coaches, teammates or even players watching as a kid that’ve inspired you in reaching this point?

Eric Washington:

I have the utmost regard for the passion and energy of Eddie Robinson (my college head football coach).

My parents instilled in me respect for the educational process… (they were both teachers).

PW:The military presence on the Panthers’ coaching staff is certainly no secret—you, of course, as a Navy veteran, Ron Rivera as the son of a 32-year Army officer and now Steve Russ onboard from the Air Force Academy having served himself. How significant is having that background as not only a coach, but a leader of men?

Washington:The military is a society that revolves around the premise of discipline, a critical factor in the execution of any team objective.

PW:Even for Julius Peppers, a 37-year-old putting up 11 sacks in his 16th campaign is downright impressive. How special was it to be apart of the season he had?

Washington:Working with Julius Peppers is one the highlights of my career. His production is a direct result of his character and professionalism.

PW:One of the major topics moving forward for the team this offseason will be the free agent status of Star Lotulelei. Being that his contributions aren’t ones that typically show up in the box score, can you quantify how important of a presence he’s been for the defense?

Washington:An effective defense MUST be strong in its core (middle linebacker, nose tackle, strong safety.) Fortunately, Star has manned one of those areas for five seasons with consistent execution and production.

PW:Unfortunately, fans didn’t get to see much of third-round pick Daeshon Hall after a knee injury prematurely ended his rookie season. How excited are you to see him work his way into a regular role moving forward?

Washington: The timing of Daeshon’s injury was unfortunate. I am excited to monitor his growth and anticipate him contributing to our rush in 2018!

PW:Whether it was his aggressive nature or simply taking advantage of what opposing offenses were presenting you guys with, Steve Wilks built up a quick reputation as a blitz-heavy play-caller in 2017. Can we expect the same from yourself and the #WeRush mentality in 2018?

Washington:#WeRush has become a tradition for our defensive line. We will be accepting applications for new members via our blitz schemes in 2018!

PW:It’s been quite a while, on both offense and defense, since the Panthers have had a coordinator regularly work games from the sideline. That preference for the booth will likely continue with fellow play-caller Norv Turner. So will you be the man to finally break that trend?

Washington:The most important factor in my game day location will be where I believe I’m most effective helping our players and coaches. Still evaluating that. HOWEVER…not sure I’ll be able to “sit” for the typical duration of an NFL game….. HINT